How to Get Natural-Looking Red Hair

It's one of the trickiest colors to master.

Red is the toughest color to get right on your own, since bold reds can look cartoony if you're not an expert at applying them.

At Home
Unless you're a natural-born redhead, go for a more approachable auburn hue. Your best bets are brown-based colors that have red or auburn in their names. You'll still get some russet tones — without the risks. When covering grays, use permanent color, and choose formulas that have some brown or neutral tones, since pure-red pigment doesn't adhere to gray very well, and you can end up with — yikes! — pink highlights. (Do a strand test first.)

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At the Salon
Striking redheads, like Julianne Moore, often have a few coppery and auburn highlights blended in, says Nikki Ferrara, a colorist at Sally Hershberger Downtown in New York City. If you want more of that copper-penny shine, ask your colorist for highlights around your face. Also get him or her to recommend a dye you can use at home for touch-ups.

Color Care
Red molecules are the first pigment your hair releases when you wash it. Keep your red looking vibrant for longer by shampooing every other day and using an extra-gentle shampoo and conditioner, such as Bumble and Bumble Color Support Shampoo and Conditioner for True Reds ($23 each, bumbleandbumble.com). Supplement regular conditioning with a moisturizing treatment that also protects hair from fading, like Garnier Fructis Color Shield Fortifying Deep Conditioner ($4, drugstores). If your hair does fade between colorings, refresh it with a color-and-shine enhancer. Adding a few drops to your conditioner or styling product can give red more vibrancy until your next shampoo.